Happy Easter April Fools – It’s Spring!

I’m feeling a tad conflicted today. First of all, I rarely post any blogs written in the first person. Second, because today features two holidays eliciting almost contradictory emotions. Easter tends to be a solemn occasion, meant to remind traditional Christians of Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice. It’s also April Fools day, a time for light-hearted prankster-isms and silliness. So, to play it safe, I thought I’d spread some “Goods News” about a more earthly passion – taking care of our planet.

Here’s what’s hit the headlines recently:

Defiant Sustainability – The U.S. pulling out of the Paris Climate hasn’t stopped progressive cities from shifting to lower-carbon, renewable energy sources. Ecowatch recently reported that 58 U.S. cities “have now committed to transition to 100 percent clean, renewable energy.” This transition includes both large and small cities who recognize “sustainability investment as essential to new markets, jobs and creating attractive places to live, work and do business.”

Even more encouraging, the June 2017 U.S. Conference of Mayors, “representing 250 U.S. mayors, resolved to support the procurement of 100 percent renewable energy for cities by 2035.”

Clearly, our local leaders are more in-tune with what “we-the-people” desire and need than their federal counterparts. For that, we can all breathe a sigh of relief AND fresh air!

Futuristic Ford Drinking Fountain – NPR news station Michigan Radio recently interviewed Doug Martin, a Powertrain Controls Engineer for Ford, who created a prototype drinking water dispenser that collects and uses condensate from vehicle engines. The system is called “On-the-Go-H2O”. Martin got the idea for his system from – of all places – a billboard in Peru that collects condensate off its metal surface and generates about 2500 gallons of water every 60 days.

In the radio interview, he points out the best way to collect vehicle water is from the AC unit. During early experiments, Martin mentioned he was able to collect 6 ounces of AC condensate water in 15 minutes. His prototype collects and purifies the condensate to drinking water quality for passengers. Ford is also exploring other uses for the collected condensate such as inside misting units or topping off wiper fluids.

Martin made a compelling case for who might want this feature, noting that kids and pets always need water, often at inconvenient times, like when you’re stuck in traffic.

This idea may seem crazy to some but so did the idea of selling food at gas stations in the 1940s and 1950s – now there’s a Circle K or Quik Mart on practically every city block. Martin may be a visionary with his new system and I’d say his idea clearly holds water.